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"Collaborative Inquiry in Networked Communities: Lessons From the Alice Testbed" Table of Contents Background Network Science Model Scalability The Software Innovation Testbed Projects: Developing a Model What Have We Learned About Network Science? What Have We Learned About Scalability? Summary Appendix: Description of Testbed Projects Bibliography |
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in the spring of 1993 to develop and implement five interdisciplinary units on the environmental sciences using telecommunications. The Wetlands unit was the first unit to be piloted in the fall of 1993. There were 26 participating schools, six in Nebraska, and 20 in other states with 26 teachers and approximately 700 students. The second unit, Amphibians as BioIindicators, is currently underway in 23 schools, with 24 teachers and approximately 600 students. The schools in both projects are "linked" through telecommunications using the Alice Network Software. In the Wetlands unit, live satellite broadcasts and telephone audio bridges during the satellite broadcast were used to link the schools simultaneously.
The purpose of these units is to engage students in group research projects. Using data collection tools in the field and then transferring the data to the Alice Network Software, student teams create data tables and share them with the other schools on the project through telecommunications They explain the findings at their site versus findings of the other sites, elaborate on their study, and evaluate the results.
Teams of students explored a wetland site their class had selected near their school. They collected data at their site, including wind speed and direction, water depth, water and air temperature, pH, relative humidity, precipitation amounts, salinity, and solar radiation. The twice-weekly satellite broadcasts and the data turnaround through the network was a crucial aspect of the curriculum. Much of the research of the student teams depended on the information that was downloaded and discussed during these sessions. An expert known as the "TV teacher" was on-line during the broadcasts to answer questions and lead a group discussion. Some schools had difficulty receiving the broadcasts due to either technical limitations or scheduling. At the end of the unit, each team presented a final oral and written research project to their class.
This curriculum studies amphibian populations as indicators of ozone levels. The classes select field study sites, identify amphibians as they emerge from their eggs, and make detailed counts of amphibian populations. Because of lessons learned from the first project, the satellite broadcasts are not being used. Additionally, because of the nature of the subject matter, the classes are working in teams of two or three and share data about amphibians that emerge at different times in different parts of the country. The teams are also collecting daily weather and pH samples that are being sent through Alice Network Software and made available to all sites.
The NGS Kids Network/Middle Grades is a telecommunications-based science curriculum recommended for middle school students. In the two units being field-tested, How Does Your Body Get the Oxygen It Needs? and How Can You Protect the Quality of Your Water? students assume the role of researchers as they conduct investigations. Like working scientists, they use telecommunications to exchange ideas and data with their colleagues.
Every unit is divided into four parts, each of which emphasizes a different aspect of working with data. In Part 1, they investigate qualitative data--what they can learn from making observations. In Part 2, their investigations result in quantitative data--what they can learn from taking measurements. In Part 3, they analyze the data collected from parts 1 and 2, construct a data set, exchange the data with their teammates on the computer network using the Alice Network Software, and analyze the larger data set. In Part 4, students return to questions raised in previous investigations and design their own investigations.
Students investigated their respiratory and circulatory systems to determine how lungs, heart, and blood vessels work together to supply the body with oxygen and to remove carbon dioxide. Students studied risk factors associated with the two systems and how to reduce their potential effects. There were 31 teachers in 31 schools with approximately 800 students.
Global Lab is a consortium of students, teachers, and scientists from around the world who work together to enhance secondary school science education. The project implements collaborative student research into local and global environmental issues. The project seeks to broaden students' perspectives and research opportunities by using telecommunications to link classrooms with each other and the scientific community. In September, 1993, the Global Lab consisted of teachers and students from 120 schools, including 40 sites in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa, supported by a TERC staff of curriculum developers, network manager, communications director, technology developer, and researcher.
The current curriculum is based on three years of development and reflects extensive contributions from teachers in the field. It was written in a large part by a group of ten teachers who worked for three weeks last summer. The curriculum asks participating schools to select a study site nearby for students to investigate over the course of the school year. In the first semester, schools follow the first unit of the curriculum called Building Investigative Skills (BIS). The activities include selecting a study site, telecommunicating with other schools, mapping the study site, collecting data at the site, analyzing data, participating in the Global Snapshot (synchronized, environmental measurements of data that each sites sends to all other sites), Eco research, designing experiments, and creating reports of experiments that are shared on the network. The second semester focuses on Advanced Research. The classes conduct advanced studies at their sites in one of four areas supported by the project: air quality, water quality, animal migrations, and stratospheric ozone. Applying the knowledge acquired during the first semester, students will design their own research projects and share their findings with the other schools.
They have received content materials and training from the Massachusetts Water Resource Administration, and Alice Network Software and training from TERC. Their next step is to work in teams of two or three, set up their telecommunications accounts, and learn about water studies and telecommunications. Once they have become more familiar with the materials, they will develop a curriculum for implementation in the fall of 1994. They have asked the Alice Testbed staff to continue to assist them in their efforts.